Ed Edd n Eddy: Halloween of Hair
by AMX
Summary: The final chapter in the EEENBC trilogy! Oogie's back for one last round, and now he's after Peach Creek! Can the Eds and Jack, along with a few unexpected helpers, stop him one last time?
1. The Peach Creek Hippies

**Author's Note**: Yes, it's the moment you've all been waiting for, folks! The last installment of the Ed Edd n Eddy/Nightmare Before Christmas Trilogy! And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I was going to do a prequel based on the GBA game, but I scrapped the idea because I couldn't make a very strong plot out of it. So instead, I give you the final story, _Ed Edd n Eddy: Halloween of Hair_!  
For those of you who don't know, _Hair _is a movie based on a play of the same name. The movie version is about a guy from Oklahoma who's taking off for Vietnam from New York, and while in New York, he befriends a group of hippies. And since they're hippies, some of the songs they sing are about some very . . . _suggestive _topics, so I apologize in advance if any of the lyrics offend anyone.  
One last thing: this isn't about the story, but I've picked up some _very _interesting information. I'm writing this on October 28, and tomorrow, on the 29th, _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ premieres on Cartoon Network! And guess what airs after it? _Ed Edd n Eddy's Boo Haw Haw_! Coincidence? I think not!  
So without further ado, I give you my newest story! Happy reading!-**AMX**

**

* * *

**

It was nearing the end of October in a small town called Peach Creek. Now, normally around this time, the children of this quiet little town were preparing for Halloween around this time of the month. But not for twelve certain students attending Peach Creek Junior High School. They were focusing on a different matter. They had to rehearse for their upcoming school play: _Hair_.

From what the kids could make of the script, the play was about a guy from Oklahoma who befriends a group of hippies in New York, where he's taking off for Vietnam. However, when they looked through the script, they were surprised at how many suggestive topics the play talked about. Because of this, the drama teacher was forced to make some very drastic changes. But the show would still go on.

On one certain day, a few days before opening night and Halloween, these twelve students rejoiced as the final bell rung. They quickly scrambled to their lockers and ran outside into the crisp autumn weather.

But now was not the time for leisure. Now was the time for practice. They needed to get this play down! So as they went outside into the proper atmosphere, the kids got into their costumes. They would be playing the hippies.

Out of these twelve kids, three in particular stood out. These three kids were Ed, Edd (or Double D, as everyone called him), and Eddy. They were best friends who were always looking for ways to get money for jawbreakers. They were actually very excited about the play. But in the back of their minds, they were also looking forward to something else.

---

Two years ago, on Halloween night, the three "Stouthearted Eds" had followed one of Eddy's brother's maps, and it led them to a magical place behind a jack o' lantern door in the woods. This place was called Halloween Town, and its leader was a friendly skeleton named Jack Skellington.

Jack immediately befriended the three Eds, and the boys were immediately flung into an adventure. That particular year, Jack discovered the holiday called Christmas, and became fascinated by it. He, along with Eddy, tried to take over Christmas, but the two ended up having to save Double D, Ed, Santa Claus, and Jack's friend Sally from Oogie Boogie, Jack's arch-foe.

The year after that was just as exciting. Oogie's henchmen, Lock, Shock, and Barrel, brought Oogie back to life, and he tried to take over Halloween Town and the other six holidays while Jack was away. Luckily, Jack and the Stouthearted Eds stopped him, and Christmas was saved again.

---

The Eds, especially Eddy, knew that after they did the play, they would have to visit Jack and tell him all about it. He loved plays. Eddy was especially excited to see Jack again. When he and Jack were busy delivering presents that first year, they inadvertently found out that Eddy's older brother had been one of Jack's close friends. Because of this, Jack was mostly fond of Eddy, since he reminded Jack so much of "Baron" (Jack's nickname for Eddy's brother).

But first thing's first. They had to work on the play. Eddy quickly put on the old clothes he had snagged from his brother's room. Then he slicked the three long hairs on his head back. As an added touch, he put on his brother's old Peace medallion, and he looked like an honorary hippie.

Double D had a long-sleeved white shirt with an orange vest over it, and black bell-bottom pants. Small sunglasses slightly hid his eyes. He was a hippie, but he was a clean hippie. His trademark sock hat stayed on his head.

Ed didn't have much trouble finding a costume, since his big baggy smelly jeans already looked like hippie clothes. For a coat, he was wearing one of his dad's old leather jackets. It even had fringe on it.

Around the Eds, the other kids got ready too. A few feet away, Sarah, Ed's little sister, put on a white leather jacket and yellow sunglasses. She then helped her best friend, Jimmy, put on his slightly stained white jeans and a baggy vest. Unlike Double D, Jimmy didn't wear a shirt underneath his vest. But he did have little sunglasses like Double D's. They took some of the attention off his giant orthodontia brace.

The school bullies, the Kanker Sisters, were busy putting on their hippie skirts and tops while putting flowers in their hair. They then began to argue on who was the prettiest hippie. May, the blond Kanker, had a white T-shirt and a long red skirt on. A single rose was in her hair. Marie, the blue-haired Kanker, wore a gray vest shirt and black shorts. Sunglasses covered her visible eye. Lee, the redhead Kanker, made her already fluffy red hair extra fluffy, and put on her white top with red polka dots, along with a jean skirt with numerous patches on it.

Nazz, the beauty of the school, also had flowers in her short blond hair. She also wore a daisy-print T-shirt with a matching skirt. Bangles covered her wrists.

Over by the bike racks, Kevin and Rolf were getting ready. Rolf was the foreign son of a shepherd, and his costume consisted of a pair of jeans with big patches ripped out of them, so you could see his skinny legs. He wore no shirt. He also held a shepherd's staff, as he would be tending to a few sheep that would also be in the play. Kevin, the school jock and semi-bully, was playing the leader of the hippies, Berger. He had a white T-shirt on, covered by a leather vest, and ripped jeans that went down to his knees. His part required him to wear a brown-haired curly wig.

For some reason, Kevin was the only one who didn't seem to be enjoying the play. "I hate hippies," he grumbled as he put his wig on.

"I love hippies!" said the last kid, running past Kevin and Rolf. Jonny 2x4 was perfectly cast as a hippie because he was practically one already. He wore a long-sleeved green shirt with yellow swirls all over it, with matching pants. On his head, he wore a giant Afro wig, and on his feet were his trademark sandals. As Jonny ran, he looked at the piece of wood with the face drawn on it in his hands. "This rocks, huh Plank?" Jonny asked the wood. "We get to wear our pajamas to school!" Plank, of course, didn't respond. He simply stared, as he always did.

Kevin looked at all the other kids. "Okay, people!" he called to the others. "Let's get this over with! I want to get home as fast as possible."

The other kids gathered around.

"What scene do you suggest we do, Kevin?" asked Double D.

Kevin sighed and looked at the script. "Uh . . . let's just start at the beginning and work our way through," he decided. "Let's start the first scene with the hippies. Nazz, get ready to sing."

Nazz nodded. She would be singing the first song in the play.

"Places, people!" Kevin called.

Kevin, Nazz, Jonny, and Eddy formed a circle in the middle of the front yard of the school, while everyone else acted like . . . well, hippies!

"And don't throw yourself in front of everyone again, dork!" Kevin said to Eddy. "You're not the only one on stage!"

"Yeah, yeah . . . " Eddy mumbled.

Kevin then took out a small piece of paper and looked at his first line. "Any person who alters . . . " He looked at Nazz. ". . .forges, knowingly destroys . . . " He looked at Jonny, still holding Plank. ". . .knowingly mutilates . . . " He looked at Eddy. ". . .or in any matter changes this certificate . . . may be fined not to exceed $10,000 . . . or imprisoned for not more than five years . . . or both."

Kevin then acted like he was setting the certificate on fire, and let it flutter to the ground. Then he, Eddy, and Jonny joined the others in the hippie crowd. This was Nazz's cue. She opened her mouth and began to sing.

Nazz: **_When the moon is in the Seventh House  
And Jupiter aligns with Mars  
Then peace will guide the planets  
And love will steer the stars _**

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius  
The age of Aquarius  
All:**_ Aquarius!  
Aquarius!  
_**

Then, as part of the choreographed dance, everyone moved away from Nazz, except for Ed, who got down on his hands and knees and began to prance around like a horse.

Nazz:**_ Harmony and understanding  
Sympathy and trust abounding  
No more falsehoods or derisions  
Golden living dreams of visions  
Mystic crystal revelation  
And the mind's true liberation  
Aquarius!  
_**All:**_ Aquarius!_**

Now everyone began jumping and prancing around the front yard of the school. Some even began to roll around on the ground. They were _that_ into it.****

Nazz:**_ When the moon is in the Seventh House  
And Jupiter aligns with Mars  
Then peace will guide the planets  
And love will steer the stars _**

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius  
The age of Aquarius  
Aquarius!  
All:**_ Aquarius!_**

Nazz:**_ Harmony and understanding  
Sympathy and trust abounding  
No more falsehoods or derisions  
Golden living dreams of visions  
Mystic crystal revelation  
_**

All:**_ And the mind's true liberation  
Aquarius!  
Aquarius!_**

For the final pose, everyone majestically pointed toward Nazz and waved their arms in the air. Nazz also brought her arms up and looked up at the sky, as a hippie would.

"Okay, cut!" Kevin called out.

Nazz brought her arms down and giggled. "That was fun!" she said.

"Rolf is humbled by the easy-going lives of these . . . how you say . . . hipsties?" said Rolf in his thick foreign accent.

"_Hippies_, Rolf," Double D corrected.

"Okay, let's start the next scene," said Kevin.

"Can we practice them in the park?" asked Jimmy.

"Yeah, I wanna play on the swings!" said Sarah.

"We can't goof around!" said Kevin. "Opening night's in a few days!"

"Actually Kevin," said Double D, "the park might be a better place to practice. This _does _take place in a park . . . "

"All right, all right!" said Kevin. "Sheesh . . . "

And so, the twelve kids began the short trek to the park. But, unbeknownst to any of them, an all-too-familiar skeletal character-at least to the Stouthearted Eds-was waiting for them . . .


	2. Skeleton in Peach Creek

Since Sarah and Jimmy were most excited about playing in the park, they ran ahead of the other kids. But before they knew it, the two younger kids were running back to them screaming.

"Oh dear," said Double D. "Shrieks of terror!"

"Dad's home!" exclaimed Ed.

"What's with you two?" asked Eddy.

"A dark, mysterious stranger is in the park!" exclaimed Jimmy, almost on the brink of hysteria.

"Really?" asked Jonny, beginning to get excited. "Holy cow, Plank! We're gonna meet a hobo!"

"What did he look like?" asked Nazz.

"Well, he was really tall . . . " Jimmy began.

"And he had on a black and white suit," said Sarah, who, for once in her life, seemed pretty freaked out herself.

"But that wasn't the scariest part," said Jimmy. "He was all thin and white as a sheet."

"Yeah!" said Sarah. "He almost looked like . . . a skeleton!"

This caught the Eds' attention. They looked at each other suspiciously.

"Black and white suit?" asked Ed.

"Tall, thin and white?" asked Double D.

"A skeleton . . . ?" asked Eddy. "You don't think . . . "

Double D turned back to the group. "Where exactly is this stranger?" he asked Sarah and Jimmy.

"He's asleep on the slide!" said Jimmy. "Come on!"

---

"Whoa . . . " Kevin murmured as he looked at the stranger peacefully sleeping on the slide. Even he was a little shocked.

"He reminds Rolf to fix his scarecrow," said Rolf.

"Why do you think he's here?" asked Nazz.

"I bet he's just a bum," said Lee. "I say we wake him up and punt him out of here!"

The only ones who weren't in awe were Ed Edd n Eddy. For the stranger on the slide wasn't a stranger to them. He was none other than the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington! But one question still remained: Why was Jack in Peach Creek when Halloween was still days away?

"_That idiot . . . _" Eddy thought. "Stand back, folks," he said, pushing to the front. "We'll take care of this. Right, guys?"

"Oh, of course, Eddy," said Double D.

Ed just laughed.

"You're gonna wake him up?" asked Nazz.

"But he might hurt you!" said Jimmy.

"I don't know," said Double D. "Something tells me that he's harmless." He winked at the other two Eds, who winked back.

And with that, the Stouthearted Eds headed toward the sleeping Jack, the rest of the group carefully watching from a safe distance.

Eddy was the first one to reach Jack. He covered his mouth to stifle a giggle. Jack looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. He motioned to Double D and Ed to keep quiet, then cleared his throat.

"Hey, uh, you can't sleep here in the park, mister," Eddy said in a deep voice as he gently shook Jack's shoulder.

Jack stirred. "Wha . . . ?" he mumbled. "Oh, sorry . . . " He rubbed his eyes and sat up. That was when he saw the three familiar boys standing next to him. His face lit up. "Eddy! Double D! Ed!" he exclaimed. "Thank goodness! I was afraid I had gone to the wrong town."

"Nope, this is Peach Creek, buddy," said Eddy. "The town we call home. And speaking of which, why aren't you at _your _home? Halloween's days away!"

"Well, I came to tell you something," said Jack. "But I came at night and got lost. I ended up falling asleep on this bed. It wasn't very comfortable, though . . . "

"That's because it's a slide," said Double D.

Ed giggled. "Jack got lost!" he said.

Jack looked at the slide he was sitting on. "Oh . . . "

"So, what do want to talk to us about, Jackie-boy?" asked Eddy.

Meanwhile, the other kids were dumbstruck. The Eds seemed to know this guy. And even weirder, that guy knew the Eds!

"Check it out . . . " said Kevin.

"Where on earth did they meet that guy?" asked Nazz.

"You think he plays basketball?" asked Jonny. "He's tall enough, huh Plank?"

"I've got goosebumps, Sarah!" said Jimmy.

"Figures my brother would be friends with another weirdo . . . " said Sarah.

"It is so repulsive!" said Rolf. "It wants Rolf!" He stood in the entrance of the park. "YOU SHALL NOT HAVE ROLF'S LIVESTOCK!"

"Dude!" Kevin yelled.

But it was too late. Jack turned and saw the other kids, staring at him with wide eyes.

Jack turned back to the Eds. "Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Sort of," said Eddy.

"They look scared," said Jack. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, of course not," said Double D. "It's just that I don't think they've ever seen an eight-foot skeleton before."

"Do you think you could convince them that I'm a nice skeleton?" Jack asked.

"Sure!" said Ed. "'Cause you're cool, Jack!"

Eddy walked toward the other kids. "Relax, guys," he said. "This is Jack. He's an old friend of ours."

"You could have told us that in the first place, dork!" said Kevin.

"When-and where-did you meet this guy?" asked Nazz.

"Funny you should mention that," said Eddy. "Remember Christmas a couple of years back, when someone put killer toys in everyone's houses?"

"Hey, yeah," said Marie.

"Man, those dolls we got were ugly," said May.

"And they had those nasty attitudes," said Lee.

"I'd like to pound the idiot responsible for that," said Sarah.

"But what does Rolf's possessed sheep shearer have to do with the tall, skeletal friend of the Ed boys?" asked Rolf.

"Hold on," said Kevin. "Are you saying that he . . . ?"

Jack shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. "My bad," he said.

"_You _did that?" Nazz asked in disbelief.

"Cool!" said Jonny. "Although Plank didn't really like those termites in a jar . . . "

"Yeah, well, I thought it was pretty funny," said Eddy. "You know, from my perspective . . . "

"You were in on that, dorks?" Kevin growled.

"I should have known my stupid brother and you idiots had something to do with it!" said Sarah.

Jack looked at the other kids inquisitively. "Are you sure these kids are your friends?" he asked the Eds.

"Ah, they're just mad," said Eddy. "You should be here on a bad day."

"Now people, let's not fly off the handle," said Double D. "Jack and Eddy also saved Christmas."

"_Really_," said Sarah.

"Well, duh," said Eddy. "Who do you think made Santa come back? And not only that, Jack saved me, Double D, and Ed."

"You're just trying to mess with us," said Kevin.

"Lay off, jock!" said Lee. She and her sisters stepped forward. "We believe you, boys," she said dreamily.

"Yeah," said Marie. "Double D wouldn't lie to us."

"How could you not believe a face like Big Ed's?" asked May.

Jack smiled. "Oh . . . " he said slyly. "You boys didn't tell me you had girlfriends."

Eddy's face went red. "WHAT?" he yelled.

"Perish the thought!" said Double D.

"Yucky, mushy girls!" said Ed.

The Kankers giggled.

"All right, all right," said Kevin. "We don't have time to argue right now. We've got a play to perfect."

"A play?" asked Jack. "Oh, I love plays! Can I watch you rehearse?"

Kevin sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "Just don't get in the way, Bony!"

"You won't even know I'm here," said Jack.

"Where should we start, Kevin?" asked Double D.

Kevin looked at the script. "Okay . . . " he said. "Let's start right after Claude and Sheila's first conversation. Get ready to sing, Dorky."

"Dorky?" asked Jack.

"Sure thing, _Kevin_," said Eddy, climbing to the top of the slide.

"Everyone else in positions!" Kevin said.

The other kids scrambled out into the park and started playing like hippies. Jack, Double D, and Ed stayed near Eddy. They watched as the shortest Stouthearted Ed majestically stood at the top of the slide and slid down. Then he broke into song.

Eddy: **_Sodomy  
Fellatio  
Cunnilingus  
Pederasty _**

Father, why do these words sound so nasty?

Masturbation  
Can be fun  
Join the holy orgy  
Kama Sutra  
Everyone!

If Jack had eyes, they would have been as wide as dinner plates. Had Eddy really said those things?

"EDDY!" said Double D. "You're supposed to sing the clean version!"

"Aw, come on, Double D!" said Eddy. "Live a little!"

"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you have no idea what any of those words mean," said Jack.

"Nope," said Eddy. "Why, do you?"

Jack gulped. "No," he said.

"YOU DO TOO!" Eddy barked. "All right, where's a dictionary?"

"No time!" said Kevin. "Next song!"

"Oh, right!" said Eddy. He ran to where Kevin, Nazz, and Jonny were on the main path through the park. It was Kevin's turn to show his abilities.

Kevin:**_ Oh . . .  
Once upon a looking-for-Donna-time  
There was a sixteen-year-old virgin  
_**Eddy, Nazz, Jonny: **_Oh Donna oh oh Donna oh oh oh  
Looking for my Donna _**

Kevin:**_ I just got back from looking for Donna  
San Francisco  
Psychedelic urchin  
_**Eddy, Nazz, Jonny: **_Oh Donna oh oh Donna oh oh oh  
Looking for my Donna_**

Kevin:**_ Have you seen  
My sixteen-year-old tattooed woman  
Heard a story  
She got busted for her beauty  
_**Peach Creek Kids:**_ Oh oh oh  
Oh oh!_**

Kevin:**_ Once upon a looking-for-Donna-time  
There was a sixteen-year-old virgin  
_**Eddy, Jonny, Nazz:**_ Oh Donna oh oh Donna oh oh oh  
Looking for my Donna_**

Kevin:**_ I've been to India and saw the yogi light  
_**Jonny:**_ In South America the Indian smoke glows bright  
_**Eddy:**_ I'm reincarnated and so are we all  
_**Nazz:**_ And in this lifetime we'll rise  
Before we fall  
_**Kevin, Jonny, Eddy, Nazz:**_ Before we fall_**

Kevin:**_ Once upon a looking-for-Donna-time  
There was a sixteen-year-old virgin  
_**Eddy, Jonny, Nazz:**_ Oh Donna oh oh Donna oh oh oh  
Looking for my Donna_**

Kevin:**_ And I'm going to show her  
Life on earth can be sweet  
Gonna lay my mutated self at her feet  
And I'm gonna love her, make love to her  
_**Jonny:**_ Till the sky turns brown  
_**Eddy:**_ I'm evolving I'm evolving  
_**Nazz:**_ Through the drugs  
That you put down_**

Kevin:**_ Once upon a looking-for-Donna-time  
There was a sixteen-year-old virgin  
_**Eddy, Jonny, Nazz:**_ Oh Donna oh oh Donna oh oh oh  
Looking for my Donna  
_**Kevin, Eddy, Jonny, Nazz:**_ Looking for my Donna_**

Peach Creek Kids:**_ Donna!_**

Once again, everyone posed, signifying the end of the song. This time, Jack stood up and clapped.

"Wonderful!" he said. "That was much better . . . I think." Then he stood up. "Oh! I just remembered!" He ran over to the three Eds. "Listen, can I talk to you three in private?" he whispered. "It's urgent."

"Uh . . . okay, sure," said Eddy. He looked at Kevin. "Kev, we need to take five."

"All right," said Kevin. "You've got five minutes."

The Eds and Jack walked over near the sandbox while the others kept a reasonable distance.

"So, what do you want to talk to us about, Jack?" asked Double D.

Jack frowned. That was never a good sign.

This made Eddy frown too. "Jack, what's wrong?"


	3. Oogie on the Attack

**Author's Note**: Happy Halloween, loyal readers! I come bearing a special surprise (and it's not even Christmas yet . . . ) Anyway, after watching _The Nightmare Before Christmas _on Cartoon Network, I've been struck by a wave of inspiration. Meaning, I've finally figured out a plot for _Baron and the Pumpkin King_! So there's something else for you to look forward to after this story is done. Happy reading! ;)-**AMX**

**

* * *

**Jack looked concerned as he looked at each Ed. How was he going to tell them this? And everything had been going so well, too . . . 

"Come on! Tell us!" said Eddy. "We don't have much time."

Jack tooka deep breath. "Boys . . . " he began. ". . .I have strong evidence that Oogie Boogie is somewhere in this town."

All three Eds' jaws dropped.

"NO WAY!" said Eddy.

"That's impossible!" said Double D. "We've already defeated Oogie!"

"Two times!" said Ed.

"How the heck did he come back again?" asked Eddy.

"Guess," said Jack.

The Stouthearted Eds immediately got it.

Eddy growled in frustration. "Arg! Those little brats! Why do they have to cause so much trouble?"

"How did you find out about this, Jack?" asked Double D.

"How do you think?" Jack asked. "I heard them bragging about it. They kept saying how since Oogie wasn't having much luck in taking over Halloween Town, he was going to take over a human town. And that's not all. They kept talking about getting even with someone named Lothar."

Eddy, Double D, and Jack looked at Ed.

"Boy, I'd hate to be that guy," said Ed.

"That's _you_, Lumpy!" said Eddy. "Lock, Shock, and Barrel think your name's Lothar!"

"Oh, this is not good," said Double D. "How are we to prepare for this? And more important, how are we going to tell the other kids?"

"Unfortunately, I have no idea when and if Oogie's going to strike," said Jack. "So we should probably be prepared for anything he can throw at us."

---

"Man, what are they talking about?" Kevin asked as he watched the four boys talking.

"Oh, come on, Kev," said Nazz. "They're old friends! Let them get reacquainted for a minute."

"Well, we can't wait for them any longer," said Sarah. "Let's just do the next song."

"Okay, everyone remember their line?" asked Kevin.

"Rolf does!" said Rolf.

"Plank does, too!" said Jonny. "Let's do it!"

"But we need the Eds for this song," said Nazz.

"The Eds? As in the Stouthearted Eds?"

All the kids turned around when they heard the new, soft-sounding voice. Standing behind them was a tall woman wearing a light brown coat. She had long red hair that almost looked like yarn, and what seemed to be stitches all over her pale face.

"Uh . . . I take it you're another friend of the Eds?" asked Nazz.

"Then you know them?" asked the woman. "Yes, I am an old friend of theirs. My name is Sally."

"The Ed boys are over there, talking to the tall, skeletal friend of the Ed boys," said Rolf, pointing to where the four friends were talking.

"Oh, thank you," said Sally. She began to walk over to the four friends. "Jack!"

"Man, suburbs are weird," said Kevin.

"Hey, what's that?" asked May.

"What?" asked Marie.

The other kids turned to look. Someone else was heading their way. But it certainly didn't seem friendly . . .

---

"Hello, Miss Sally!" said Ed.

"Sally?" asked Double D and Eddy.

"Sally!" said Jack. He had not expected anyone else showing up.

"Who _else _is coming?" asked Eddy.

"Nobody," said Jack. "At least, I don't think so. . ."

"Thank goodness I found you!" said Sally. "Something bad's going to happen here!"

"We know," said Double D. "Oogie's here!"

"Hey, how did you get here, Sally?" asked Eddy.

"I found the door that leads to your town in the woods," said Sally. "And it wasn't easy."

"I would guess not," said Jack. "But how did you manage to get out without the doctor or someone noticing you?"

Sally hesitated. "I didn't."

"What do you mean you didn't?" asked Eddy.

"The doctor did catch me leaving," Sally explained. "But I lost him at the entrance to the woods. I just hope he doesn't come looking for me . . . "

"Yes, well, we have bigger problems on our hands right now," said Double D. "Like how we can predict when Oogie will strike."

"But that's just it!" said Sally. "I had a vision. It's going to happen really soon! We need to get you and your friends to somewhere safe before . . . "

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Sally was interrupted by Jimmy screaming. Then all of the sudden, all the other kids ran past the Eds, Jack, and Sally, and they were all screaming.

"Well, that can't be good," said Double D.

"Something wicked this way comes!" Ed exclaimed, pointing.

The others also looked. Walking down the park path was an army of Oogie's unmistakable minions.

"Okay . . . " said Eddy. "Now that Oogie's made his move, I've got a good idea."

"What's that?" asked Jack.

"RUN AWAY!"


	4. The Main Event

"Where are we running to, Eddy?" asked Ed.

"Heck if I know!" said Eddy. "I'm following everyone else!"

The Peach Creek Kids, along with Jack and Sally, were running in the opposite direction of Oogie's army of relentless skeletons.

"There! The school!" said Double D, pointing to Peach Creek Junior High. "It's our only option at the moment!"

So, without thinking, the group ran into the (thankfully) still open school. Eddy slammed the double doors behind him.

"SEAL ALL THE DOORS!" Eddy yelled.

"And the windows!" added Double D.

"You got it, chief!" said Ed.

Ed, along with Rolf (who was very good with his hands), immediately began running around sealing all the windows in the school. Everyone else, meanwhile, was grabbing every loose object they could and stacking them up against all the doors.

When everyone was done, they all found themselves in the lunchroom, panting heavily from running around everywhere.

"What _were _those things?" asked Nazz.

"I bet those dorks have something to do with it!" said Kevin.

"Now Kevin, hear our side of the story first!" said Double D. "Something happened last year, too!"

"Yeah, I bet," said Sarah.

"It's true!" said Eddy. "We helped Jack save Santa last year, too!"

"Really?" asked Jonny.

"I bet you boys were great," said Lee.

"Yeah," May and Marie added.

This caused the Eds to blush and groan.

"Do you think we sealed all the doors and windows?" asked Sally.

"Hmm . . . it wouldn't hurt to check," said Jack. "We'd better split up."

"Fine . . . " said Kevin. "But I still don't like any of this one bit. We're supposed to be rehearsing!"

"Well, why don't we go through our lines while we're doing the inspection?" asked Nazz.

"That works for Rolf!" said Rolf. "Come, my flock! We ride!" He then began to head down one of the halls, with his sheep (which somehow also got into the school) following him.

Slowly but surely, the other kids headed down different halls, too. Kevin headed down by himself, grumbling. Nazz and Jonny also took separate hallways. Sarah and Jimmy went down another hallway together, with the Kanker sisters following suite. Soon, the only ones left in the lunchroom were the Eds, Jack, and Sally.

"Now what?" asked Ed.

"Well, I can take this last hallway," said Jack. "Will you guys be okay staying here?"

"Of course," said Sally, smiling.

"Sure thing, Jackie-boy," said Eddy. "We'll hold the fort down here."

"Okay," said Jack, heading down the last hallway. "Be careful."

When Jack disappeared down the hall, Ed sat down on the floor, Double D looked over the script for the play, and Eddy shifted from one foot to the other.

"Well . . . I'm bored," said Eddy.

"We should take this time to practice the play," said Double D.

"Ooh, I know!" said Ed, grabbing the script. He flipped through the script, stopping at a certain page, then handed it to Eddy. "Let's practice this part!"

Eddy looked at the section Ed was talking about. "Ed, no. . ." he said.

"Aw, come on, Eddy!" said Ed. "You sing that song so well!"

"You get to sing, Eddy?" asked Sally. "I'd like to hear it."

"Oh . . . okay," said Eddy. "But you have to help me, Sally. There's a woman speaking part here."

Sally was surprised. She had never read a script for a play before. "Am I able to do it?" she asked.

"Sure, it's easy," said Eddy, handing her the script. "Just read this character's lines right there, okay?"

"I think so. . ." said Sally.

"And . . . action!" said Double D.

Sally looked at her first line. ". . .And men?" she asked Eddy, who was now in character.

"What do you mean?" asked Eddy.

Sally's eyes widened as she read the next line. "Do you have any sexual attraction toward men?" She looked at Double D. "Are you really going to be saying these things in front of your parents?" she asked him.

"Well, like we've said, the teacher's done a little tweaking . . . " said Double D. "But it's okay for now. Please continue."

Eddy continued with his character. "You're asking me if I'm gay?" he asked slyly. "Am I a homosexual? Is that what you're asking me?"

". . .Yeah," said Sally.

"Well, I wouldn't kick Mick Jagger out of my bed . . . " said Eddy, "but I'm no homosexual. No."

"I see . . . " said Sally. "Then can you tell me why you're so uptight about getting your hair cut?"

"Ooh, here it comes!" said Ed.

Eddy bowed his head. His next line was soft and slow.

Eddy: **_She asks me why  
I'm just a hairy guy  
I'm hairy noon and night  
Hair that's a fright  
I'm hairy high and low  
Don't ask me why  
Don't know  
It's not for lack of bread  
Like the Grateful Dead  
Darling . . . _**

Just then, the whole mood of the song changed. It began to feel more upbeat and happy. And Jack immediately noticed it. Before he knew it, he was hopping around wildly so he wouldn't trip, because the other kids had started running through all the different halls. Jack finally made it to the wall, and when he did, he began to hear why everyone was doing this . . .

Eddy:**_ Gimme a head with hair  
Long beautiful hair  
Shining, gleaming,  
Streaming, flaxen, waxen _**

_**Give me down to there hair  
Shoulder length or longer  
Here baby, there mama  
Everywhere daddy daddy  
**  
_**_Haaaaaaaaaaair  
_**Peach Creek Kids:_** (Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)  
**  
_Eddy:**_ Flow it, show it  
Long as God can grow it  
My hair_**

As Kevin walked down his hallway, he silently waited for his cue. As soon as Eddy was done singing, it was his turn.****

Kevin:**_ Let it fly in the breeze  
And get caught in the trees  
Give a home to the fleas in my hair  
A home for fleas  
A hive for bees  
A nest for birds  
There ain't no words  
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder  
Of my . . ._**

Haaaaaaaaaaair  
Peach Creek Kids:_** (Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)**  
_

Kevin:**_ Flow it, show it  
Long as God can grow it  
My hair_**

"Holy cow, Plank!" said Jonny. "Now it's my turn!"****

Jonny:**_ I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy  
Snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty  
Oily, greasy, fleecy  
Shining, gleaming, streaming  
Flaxen, waxen  
_**  
Sarah, Jimmy:**_ Knotted, polka-dotted  
Twisted, beaded, braided  
_**  
Eddy:**_ Powdered,  
_**Kevin:**_ flowered,  
_**Jonny:**_ and confettied  
_**Eddy:**_ Mangled,  
_**Kevin:**_ tangled,  
_**Jonny:**_ spangled,  
_**Peach Creek Boys:**_ and spaghettied! _**

Kevin, Rolf: **_Oh say can you see  
My eyes?_**

Eddy:**_ If you can  
Then my hair's too short  
Down to here  
Down to there  
_**_**Down to there  
Down to where  
It stops by itself**_

Peach Creek Kids:**_ Do do do  
_**_**Do do-do do do do  
**__**Do do do  
**__**Do do-do . . . **_

Eddy:**_ They'll be ga ga at the go go  
When they see me in my toga  
My toga made of blond  
Brilliantined  
Biblical hair _**

My hair like Jesus wore it  
Hallelujah I adore it  
Hallelujah Mary loved her son  
Why don't my mother love me?

**_Haaaaaaaaaaair  
_**Peach Creek Kids:(**_Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair_**)

Eddy:**_ Flow it, show it  
Long as God can grow it  
My . . . _**

Kevin:**_ Haaaaaaaaaaair  
_**Peach Creek Kids:(**_Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair_**)

Kevin:**_ Flow it, show it  
Long as God can grow it  
My . . . _**

Eddy: **_Haaaaaaaaaaair  
_**Peach Creek Kids:(**_Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair_**)

Eddy: **_Flow it, show it  
Long as God can grow it  
My . . . _**

Peach Creek Kids: **_HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR!_**

Sally, Double D, and Ed gave Eddy a standing ovation for his performance.

"Yeah, way to sing, Eddy!" said Ed.

"Aw, thanks," said Eddy. "No no, you're too kind . . . "

BANG!

Suddenly, something big and loud banged against the school. This frightened everyone in the halls. Before anyone knew it, everyone was back in the lunchroom.

"So. . .how was it?" asked Double D.

"I think we got everything," said Jack. "Nice song, by the way."

"So. . . what do we do now?" asked Eddy. "We can't just stay in here."

"I know," said Jack. "We need to think of a plan to fight back."

"Any ideas?" asked Kevin.

"Jack?" asked Sally.

"I haven't a clue," said Jack.

"Let's practice another scene!" said Ed. "Scenes give my brain jumpstart!"

"Yeah!" said Jimmy. "This is fun!"

"Well, what scene should we do next?" asked Nazz.

"Plank wants to do a scene!" said Jonny, taking out his script. He flipped to the appropriate page. "Plank wants to do this one!" he said, pointing to a set of lines.

The other Peach Creek Kids looked.

"Oh my . . . " said Double D. "_That _scene?"

"We'd need someone to play Army man from Oklahoma and Prissy girl from New York," said Rolf.

The Peach Creek Kids looked at Jack and Sally expectantly.

"I'm not sure I like where this is going . . . " said Jack.


	5. The Wedding Crasher

"I can't believe I agreed to do this . . . " Jack mumbled as the kids were getting ready to do the scene.

"It's just one scene," said Sally. "And at least it will kill some time until someone thinks of a plan. Besides, Jack. I thought you _liked _acting."

"Well, I've never done a scene like this before," said Jack.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's a _wedding _scene."

"There's nothing wrong with weddings."

"Well, according to this script, all the characters are "high" on something called an "LSD." What does that mean?"

"Oh . . . " said Sally. "I think you're reading Eddy's script. He doesn't have any of the edits in his. Double D told me we're all supposed to be on "sugar buzzes," whatever that means."

"Okay, places people!" said Kevin. "We gotta get this scene down!"

"You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to . . . " said Double D to Jack and Sally.

"No, it's okay," said Jack. "It's just a play, after all."

"Where are we starting?" asked Sally.

"We just finished the "Electric Blues" song," explained Eddy. "You guys need to stand right there in front of Kevin while we start the next song, okay?"

"Okay . . . " said Jack. He looked around the lunchroom.

The kids had rearranged a few of the tables and chairs so it looked like a wedding aisle in a church. However, this church, apparently, was for hippies. The kids were lying on the floor, on the tables, and some were hanging upside-down on the chairs. Kevin, on the other hand, was standing up at the front, behind what looked like an altar.

Jack and Sally slowly walked up and stood in front of Kevin.

"Okay, everyone ready?" asked Kevin.

"Ready!" said the rest of the kids.

"I guess . . . " said Jack.

"Lights!" said Kevin.

Marie walked over to the light switch and dimmed the lights. The overhead lights flickered off, and a multicolored disco ball turned on. The different colors bounced off the walls.

"Ooh . . . " said Sally, who had never seen anything like this before.

"You kids thought of everything, didn't you?" asked Jack.

"Nothing's too small for this school," said Double D. "Trust us."

"Okay, start the song!" said Kevin.

"With pleasure . . . " said Eddy.

Eddy: **_Hare Krishna . . .  
_**Nazz:**_ Hare Krishna . . .  
_****_  
_**Peach Creek Boys:**_ Krishna  
_**Peach Creek Girls:**_ Krishna  
_**Boys:**_ Hare  
_**Girls:**_ Hare  
_**  
Jimmy:**_ Hare Rama  
_**Sarah:**_ Hare Rama  
_**  
Boys:**_ Rama Rama  
_**Girls:**_ Hare Hare _**

Eds:**_ Love  
_**Kankers:**_ Love  
_**Eds:**_ Love  
_**Kankers: **_Love  
_**  
Boys:**_ Drop out  
_**Girls:**_ Drop out  
_**Boys:**_ Be in  
_**Girls:**_ Be in _**

Kevin:**_ Take trips get high  
Laugh joke and good bye  
Beat drum and old tin pot  
I'm high on you know what  
_**  
Ed:**_ Marijuana marijuana  
Juana juana mari mari  
_**Uh . . . wait . . .

Boys:**_ High  
_**Girls: **_High  
_**Boys:**_ High  
_**Girls:**_ High_**

Eddy:**_ Way way up here  
_**Nazz:**_ Ionosphere_**

Peach Creek Kids:**_ Beads, flowers, freedom, happiness  
Beads, flowers, freedom, happiness_**

**_Beads, flowers, freedom, happiness  
Beads, flowers, freedom, happiness . . . _**

Jack looked around at the other kids. He had to admit, their acting was very convincing. "Well, you kids certainly know how to set the mood."

"Ya think so?" asked Eddy.

"Yes," said Jack.

"Okay, here's where you guys come in," said Kevin. He then slumped over on the altar, peeking at his script. "Do you, Sheila Franklin, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?" he asked Sally.

Sally smiled. "I do." She said her line perfectly. Not only that, she was beginning to think it would actually be like this for her and Jack one day . . . except without all the passed-out hippies and drugs.

Kevin rolled his eyes to Jack. "And do you, Claude Hooper Bukowski, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?"

Now a smile even formed on Jack's pale face. "I do." As an added touch, he slightly slurred his line.

Kevin chuckled. "If anyone has any reason why these two cough shouldn't be wed, let them speak now, or. . ."

"I OBJECT!"

Suddenly, the funkadelic lights were switched off, and the lunchroom lights flickered on again.

"Huh?" all the kids asked, sitting up.

"That's not in the script!" said Lee.

Everyone turned to the back of the lunchroom. There, in front of the lunchroom main doors with his hand on the light switch, was an all-too-familiar doctor (at least to Jack, Sally, and the Eds) in a wheelchair. And judging by the look on his face, he was not pleased.

"Dr. Finkelstein?" the three Eds asked together.

Realizing what the situation looked like, Jack took a step away from Sally, who had become so frightened she ran behind the podium Kevin was at.

"Now Doctor," Double D tried to explain as the irritated scientist began to slowly wheel toward the group. "It's not what you think. We're just rehearsing a scene for a play . . . "

"Hey, how the heck did you get in here, old man?" asked Marie.

"Yeah, this place is all boarded up!" said Jonny.

"The back door was open," the doctor snapped at the kids as he continued.

"The back door?" asked Eddy. He looked at Ed and Rolf, who just shrugged.

The doctor stopped right in front of Jack. "This better have a good explanation," he hissed at the Pumpkin King.

"Doctor, it wasn't real," said Jack. "It was just a scene for a play these kids were doing."

"Don't give me that!" the doctor shot back. "You two thought you could get away with eloping behind my back in another town? Well, you were wrong!"

"Eloping?" asked Kevin. "Who the heck is this guy, anyway?"

"Sally's creator," said Double D.

"Well, I can certainly see why she wanted to get away from him . . . " said Nazz.

"Now you listen to me, Jack," Dr. Finkelstein continued, ignoring the kids. "I'm not here to do anything special. I came to get Sally and go back home. And I'd better be leaving this place with her in tow!"

"I can't do that, Doctor," said Jack. "Not while Oogie and his army are in this town."

"Oogie and his . . . ?" asked the doctor. "If they are here, they're back in park I had to pass through. And I, for one, don't care what happens to this dinky little town. I care about bringing Sally back home." He turned to Sally, who was peeking out from behind the podium. "Now _let's go_."

"Hey, you!" said Eddy. "This is _our _'dinky little town' you're talking about!"

"Yes, Doctor," said Double D. "We helped save your town, and now Jack is here to return the favor."

It was then that Dr. Finkelstein noticed the Eds. "Hmph . . . " he grumbled. "I should have known you three had something to do with this. But don't think that just because you helped save Halloween Town that you've earned my respects. I don't want any part of this. Sally's coming with me, and nobody's going to tell me otherwise! Not even the Pumpkin King!"

Even the doctor was smart enough to know that the last part was a mistake the instant he said it.

Upon hearing the doctor's last comment, Jack's eyes narrowed. Then, without another word, he walked around behind the doctor and grabbed the bar on the back of his wheelchair. Then the kids and Sally watched as Jack half-carried the wheelchair with the doctor in it out of the lunchroom, despite the doctor's protests.

A few minutes later, Jack walked back into the lunchroom, minus the doctor.

"Dude, what did you do?" asked Eddy.

"Oh, nothing fancy," said Jack. "The doctor's just going to take some time out in the janitor's closet to think about what he's done."

"You locked him in the . . . ?" asked Eddy. Then he and the other boys started laughing.

"I gotta admit, that was sweet, dude," said Kevin.

"Rolf couldn't have done it better himself," said Rolf.

"No time to relax," said Jack. "I've just thought of a plan."

"Really?" asked Double D.

Jack looked at the three Eds. "How far away are we from your houses?"


	6. The Unexpected Setback: Eddy MIA

"_Why _are we doing this?" Double D whispered.

"My plan won't work unless we have at least some means of defending ourselves," Jack whispered back. "And you three must have your weapons."

"Well, I guess that's true . . . " said Double D. "But is it worth taking this risk?"

Jack had decided that the only way to defeat Oogie was to sneak attack him and hit him with everything they had. And at the moment, everything they had consisted of the weapons Jack had given the Eds in Halloween Town.

"Aw, come on Double D," said Eddy. "At least this way we have witnesses to us being heroes!"

"Then believe us the other kids really will!" said Ed.

"Okay . . . " said Double D.

By this time, the foursome had reached the cul-de-sac of houses.

"Which houses are yours?" asked Jack.

"Mine is over there," said Double D, pointing to one side of the street. "And Ed and Eddy's are over there," he continued, pointing to the other side of the street.

"How are we gonna do this?" asked Eddy.

"I suggest we go to my place first," said Double D. "Then we'll be able to go to your houses, which are side-by-side."

"But that'll take too long!" Eddy whined. "Why can't I go to my house now?"

"Because it's too risky," said Jack.

"Pfft. Risky?!" asked Eddy. "And everything else we've been through has been a piece of cake?"

"A good point Eddy brings," said Ed.

"But what if you're jumped by Oogie's goons?" asked Double D.

"Look, I'm so small and quick, they won't notice me," said Eddy. "And I'll be fine once I get my Yo-Yo Mace."

"How do you know all this, Eddy?" asked Double D.

"It's the same smarts I use in all our scams, Double D," said Eddy.

"And we all know how those go . . . EDDY!" said Double D.

But it was too late. Eddy was already running down the hill by himself to his house.

"I'm . . . sure he'll be fine," said Jack. "What we need to do right now is get your weapons."

"Right!" said Ed.

"Okay . . . " said Double D.

---

Even though all the lights in the houses were off, Double D's front door was still open. Thankfully, Oogie didn't seem interested in trashing homes. Double D, Jack, and Ed tiptoed up the stairs to Double D's room in the dark.

When they got to Double D's room, Double D shut all the windows and curtains, then turned the desk light on. They weren't going to risk tipping Oogie off.

"Where do you keep it?" Jack whispered.

"In here," said Double D. He opened one of the bottom drawers of his desk. On the top of a pile of papers was Double D's old weapon, the Death Rattle. He had even put a neat little label marked "Death Rattle" on it. "See how easy that was?" Double D asked. "It sure helps to keep your room neat and sanitized."

That was when Jack actually looked around Double D's room. It was true. Everything in Double D's room was placed in a neat and organized fashion. And everything had a label on it. In fact, Jack began to think it was a little _too _neat. He was about to ask Double D if he had obsessive-compulsive disorder, but decided against it.

"So, uh . . . do you still have your weapon Ed?" asked Jack.

"Oh, yeah," said Ed. "I keep it in my secret stash."

---

Jack smiled as he entered the window into Ed's room. This was much more to his liking. Posters of monster movies were posted all over Ed's walls, and little monster figurines were everywhere.

"I might have to bring some of your things back for Halloween, Ed," said Jack.

"Aw, thanks, Pumpkin King," said Ed.

"So, where's your weapon?" asked Jack.

"Um . . . " Ed looked around his messy room. Not only was it littered with B-movie memorabilia, it was filled with filthy clothes and moldy food. Then Ed looked at his old and lumpy bed. "Wait! My brain is working!" He then got down on the floor and crawled under his incredibly filthy mattress.

Jack looked at Double D and saw that the poor boy was shuddering. It took the Pumpkin King a minute to understand why. Of course! Double D was the neatest person Jack knew. Ed's room, which must have been filled to the brim with who knows what kind of bacteria, was the exact opposite of Double D's bedroom, which had been neat to the point that Jack began to suspect obsession. There's no way Double D could feel comfortable about Ed's way of living.

Just then, Ed popped out from under the bed, wearing his weapon on his head. It was a bone shaped into a helmet, rightly named the Bony Helmet.

"Ready to fire, chief!" said Ed.

"Yes, well . . . " said Double D. "I think we're done here."

"I hope Eddy got to his house okay," said Jack.

---

While Jack, Double D, and Ed were over in Ed's house, Eddy had made it to his house unscathed. He was now rooting around his room. He just couldn't seem to find what he was looking for.

"_Maybe Mom has a point about cleaning my room . . . _" Eddy thought as he looked around his messy room. All the piles of clothes on the floor would take forever to search under! Then Eddy did a quick survey of his surroundings. Where hadn't he checked yet?

His desk! Of course! That was where he kept the map to Halloween Town, so why not? He ran over to his desk and opened the first drawer. He was right. Sitting on top of the map that led to Halloween Town was a black object with a string wrapped around it. This was Eddy's weapon, the Yo-Yo Mace. He took it out and looped the string around his finger. Then he Walked the Dog. When the Yo-Yo Mace hit the floor, spikes popped out of it. Eddy smiled. It still worked.

Eddy then walked out of his door into his backyard. He looked around. There was no sign of Double D, Ed, or Jack. What had it been, three minutes? Where _were _they?

Just then, something else caught Eddy's eye. On the far end of his backyard was a crisp, new one-dollar bill. The money-loving boy grinned.

"Sweetheart!" he exclaimed. He put the Yo-Yo Mace in his pocket and ran toward the dollar . . . only to see it zip into the bushes. Now, if Eddy had been thinking straight, he would have thought this was suspicious. But this was _money _we were talking about here! It couldn't be _that _bad! Without hesitation, Eddy ran into the bushes after the dollar. "Stop teasing!" he said as he ran.

Suddenly, Eddy slammed into something. He couldn't run anymore. It had become pitch black, too, except for a little light behind him. Feeling around, Eddy felt what he had hit. It felt like some kind of cloth. Some kind of material you could make something out of like . . . a bag . . .

"TRICK OR TREAT!" three unmistakable voices suddenly sang behind Eddy. Then he heard the sound of something closing, and all the light vanished.

"Oh no. . ." the Stouthearted Eds leader groaned.

This was not going to be pleasant.


	7. The Confrontation: Eddy and Oogie Boogie

_**Laa, la, la, la, la, laa!  
La, la, la, la, laa!  
Laa, la, la, la, la, laa!  
La, la, la, la, laa! **_

Eddy listened to the three brats singing underneath him. He wasn't meant to be tossed around in a big bag like a bunch of dirty laundry! What had he done to deserve this?

Well . . . unless you counted how he and his friends thwarted Oogie Boogie's plans to take over the holidays . . . twice . . .

But that wasn't the point! The point was that unless he didn't think of a plan soon, he was obviously going to have an unpleasant experience.

"You're awfully quiet up there!" a little girl's voice suddenly leaked through the bag to Eddy. He guessed that this was Shock, the brat dressed as a witch.

"Well, _duh_!" said a second, sneery voice. "He's too scared to speak." Eddy guessed this was Lock, the brat dressed as a devil.

"Or he could have fallen asleep . . . " said a third, more timid voice. Eddy knew this was Barrel, the brat dressed as a skeleton.

"I'm not scared," Eddy replied plainly. "I just happen to know where this is going, so there's no point in saying anything."

Eddy smiled as he heard the three voices now murmuring below him.

"He's not scared?"

"That's no fun!"

"Mr. Oogie'll be mad if he's not scared!"

Eddy slightly winced at the last statement. Unfortunately, they were right. Oogie would be ticked if he saw that Eddy wasn't scared.

But that was just it. Eddy wasn't scared. In fact, Eddy found Oogie more annoying than scary. That, and the fact that Oogie had tried to send Double D and Ed into a fiery grave were perfectly good reasons not to be scared of this guy. In fact, under these circumstances, Eddy was beginning to wonder why _he _wasn't ticked. _Oogie _was the one causing all the problems! And he probably knew that Jack and the Stouthearted Eds would just stop him if he kept trying. So why did he do it?

Eddy's thoughts were interrupted when the bag suddenly opened and he was thrust out of it, Yo-Yo Mace and all.

"Geez, watch the hair, why don't you?" Eddy grumbled, doing his best to fix his now out-of-place hair.

"I'd be more worried about other things if I were you."

Eddy looked up. He was sitting right in front of the ugly burlap sack of bugs himself!

"Should've known it would come to this," said Eddy.

"It's _so _nice of you to join us, Stouthearted Eddy," Oogie drawled.

"The pleasure's _not _mutual," said Eddy. "I assure you."

It was then that Oogie actually got a good look at Eddy. He looked different in the slightly tattered and worn clothes. "Nice monkey suit," he said. "Too bad Halloween's still days away! Not that you'll live to see it . . . "

"Yeah, well, hippies ain't supposed to look nice, buddy," said Eddy, beginning to Walk the Dog with the Yo-Yo Mace. "Of course, it takes one to know one."

Oogie glared at the young boy. Had he actually _insulted_ the mighty Oogie Boogie? "I bet you think you're _so _clever," he said.

"Not _think_," said Eddy as he gave a big smirk. "I _know_." Then, as an added touch, he began to Rock the Baby with the Yo-Yo Mace.

Oogie growled in frustration. "That conceit . . . " he grumbled. "You remind me of _him _from years ago. The boy who helped Jack defeat me the first time I tried to take over Halloween Town. The pilot!"

"Pilot?" asked Eddy, rewinding the Yo-Yo Mace. "Would that have been the Red Baron?"

"Yes . . . yes!" said Oogie. "That was his name! Baron! He thought he was _so _great. They both did! If only I knew what happened to that little snob . . . "

"Well, that "little snob" ain't so little anymore," said Eddy. "He went off to college years ago. But he sure hasn't forgotten about _you_, let me tell you."

"Hmph," said Oogie, beginning to walk away from Eddy. "I guess snobs flock together."

"You mean 'great minds think alike'," said Eddy. "Baron's my big brother. And by the way, his name's not really Baron."

Oogie whirled around. "Brother?!" he barked.

"Of course, it's hard to tell," said Eddy. "Considering _I _got all the good looks . . . "

"Then it seems I'm not going to get the chance to toast him," said Oogie. "I get to toast his little brother instead! And all his puny friends!"

"And how do you intend to do that?" asked Eddy.

"Don't think I haven't seen your little army," said Oogie. "There's no way you can beat me after my monsters and I have taken over this pitiful little town! Those other kids didn't even believe your story!"

"When Jack, Double D, and Ed tell them about this, it'll be all the proof they'll need," said Eddy. "Besides, I'll probably be safe here. _You _certainly seem safe enough."

"Yes," Oogie cackled. "That _would _be true. Unfortunately, our time together has come to an end. Get in here, you brats!"

Eddy couldn't help but slightly smile at that comment. Even _Oogie _thought those three were brats!

Soon enough, Lock, Shock, and Barrel scurried into the room.

"What do you want us to do, Boss?" Shock asked.

"Take Mr. Eddy to the dungeon until further notice," said Oogie. He then began to walk away again. "Oh, and be sure to give him the _presidential suite_," he added, sneering.

The three brats laughed along with their master as they began to push Eddy away.

"Hey hey hey!" Eddy said, knocking the three kids away. "Hands off the threads! I'm goin'."

He then let the three brats lead him out of the new room. He knew that Oogie had been right about one thing. Unless someone thought of another plan, the town was done for! And it was true that the other kids weren't 100 percent sure that he and his friends were telling the truth, even after Sally and Dr. Finkelstein had showed up.

But Eddy couldn't do anything now. Not in the position he was in. All he could do now was play along with them, and hope like heck that everyone else was still safe in the school. Or at least that Jack, Ed, or Double D was still safe.

After all, who else would come looking for him?


	8. The Plot Twist: Kevin's Decision

Sally and the other Peach Creek Kids were surprised when Double D and Ed reentered the lunchroom. However, it was immediately noticeable that there were two people missing.

"Did something happen?" asked Nazz.

"Well, we have good news and bad news," said Double D. "The good news is that we were able to find our old weapons . . . "

"And the bad news?" asked Sally.

"Yes, well . . . " Double D hesitated. That could only mean one thing: something had put a snag in their plan. "Before I tell you, I have to advise you not to panic . . . "

"OOGIE'S GOONS RAN OFF WITH EDDY!" Ed suddenly shouted. "WE WILL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN!"

Everyone except Kevin gasped.

"I'm afraid it's true," said Double D. "We got to Eddy's house just in time to see him get kidnapped."

"Jack didn't go after them, did he?" asked Sally.

"No," said Double D. "Jack's still at the entrance of the school, trying to figure out an escape plan."

"Save Eddy we must!" said Ed.

"Yeah," said Nazz. "We need a plan."

"Do we have to?" asked Sarah.

"As much as Rolf hates to admit it, it would be incredibly boring if Head-and-Neck-as-one Ed Boy did not come back," said Rolf.

"Plank and I are in, too!" said Jonny.

"Okay!" said Double D. "We'll need all the help we can get on this. I just wish we could get the Doctor on our side, too . . . "

"Leave that to us!" said Lee, cracking her knuckles. "Come on, girls," she said to her sisters. "We'll give that little pipsqueak a reason to help us. Nobody messes with my man!"

While the Kanker Sisters headed to the Janitor's Closet where Dr. Finkelstein was still locked up, Double D, Ed, and the other kids began throwing out ideas for rescue plans. However, one kid backed away from the crowd.

Kevin looked at the other kids in disbelief. Why were they so interested in helping _Eddy_? It wasn't like the little dork had _done _anything to deserve to be rescued. How stupid could these people get? Almost disgusted at the sight, Kevin slipped out of the lunchroom unnoticed.

---

"_Forget all this!_" Kevin thought as he headed for the school's exit. "_Who cares if Dorky never comes back?! I've got better things to do! We're all better off without him, anyway!_"

"Oh, what am I going to do?"

Kevin stopped when he saw that he wasn't alone at the school's main doors. Jack was pacing back and forth in front of the doors, looking very worried.

"Hey, you wanna move so I can get out?" Kevin asked.

Jack looked at the boy as he paced. "Nobody's leaving this building," he mumbled.

"_I _am," said Kevin. "I want no part of this. I just wanna get my bike and go home."

"How can you not be worried?!" Jack asked. "Didn't you hear? Eddy's been kidnapped!"

"Yeah, I heard that Dorky was kidnapped," said Kevin. "So what?"

Jack suddenly stopped pacing. He slowly turned so he was facing Kevin. He looked down and shot a glare at the boy.

"His name is _Eddy_, not 'Dorky'," he said softly. "And I think that as one of his friends, you should be a little more sensitive than that."

Kevin almost started laughing at this statement. "Friend? You think I'm that dork's _friend_?" he asked. "You're kidding, right? If you really want my opinion, I'm _glad _he's gone. Everyone's better off without him!"

Suddenly, before Kevin could think about what was happening, he was thrust back against the wall. His long curly-haired wig fell off the top of his head. The next thing Kevin knew, he was being pushed back against the wall, Jack holding him by his vest.

"Look, you're starting to tick me off," Jack growled at the now terrified Kevin. "Eddy and his friends have helped save Christmas not once, but _twice_. If they hadn't helped me, nobody in the world would have had Christmas those years. And when he rode with me in my sleigh that Christmas Eve, he said that you and the other kids deserved my presents because none of you wanted to be his friend. I'm not sure why any of those other kids don't want to be his friend, but now I certainly know why _he_ doesn't want to be _yours_. And do you want to know why?"

"Well . . . " Kevin tried to say, but Jack beat him to it.

"It's because all you ever do is put Eddy, his friends, and even some of those other kids down," said Jack. "And Eddy's only defense against that is to act like a jerk to you, because all you ever do is act like a jerk to him."

And with that, Jack finally let go of Kevin. Kevin quickly scurried over and put his wig back on his head.

"If you want to leave, that's fine with me," Jack said, turning away from Kevin. "But don't come crying to me or anyone else here when Oogie comes to finish you off."

Kevin was dumbstruck. Nobody had ever talked to him like that. Not Kevin the jock! But as much as he hated to admit it, Jack was right. All he ever did was put other people down. And even though none of the other kids didn't really like the Eds, they still risked their lives to save Christmas for everyone else.

It was then Kevin took out his script for the play. For some reason, he just started to flip through it. Then he stopped at a scene near the end of the play. Claude was at the Vietnam training camp, and the hippies had come to visit him. Claude wanted to be with Sheila for one last time, so Berger (Kevin's character) said he had an idea . . .

Then, suddenly, an light bulb actually lit up over Kevin's head. His character's idea had given _him _one! But he couldn't do it alone. He looked over at Jack, who had gone back to pacing.

Kevin cautiously walked up to the Pumpkin King. "Uh . . . hey," he said quietly.

Jack looked at Kevin, obviously annoyed. "You're still here?" he asked.

"I. . .I just wanted to say that . . . I'm sorry," Kevin stammered out. "Those things I said before . . . they aren't true. But . . . you are right about me. I do put a lot of people down. But . . . I think I've found a way to make everything okay. But I'm gonna need help."

Jack turned away from Kevin. Unbeknownst to the boy, a small smile crept across the skeleton's face. He was still the greatest scarer in Halloween Town.

"All right," Jack said, turning back to Kevin. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Wow, that chapter was intense, wasn't it? Not it seems that the plot thickens from here, folks! Thanks to all the people who have reviewed and praised this story so far. And stay tuned for rescue teams, more songs from "Hair," and a certain little song sung by three certain little brats. . . ;)-**AMX**


	9. Plan in Action: The Forest and the Cell

**Author's Note**: Merry belated Christmas, happy belated New Year, and happy any other holidays I may have not mentioned! Sorry for the short hiatus; I've been busy with the holidays, semester test week is coming up at my school, and I've had a slight case of writer's block. But now I'm back, with hopefully a satisfying chapter! Happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

To make a long story short, Jack and Kevin's plan, as explained to the others, was this:

Minus Eddy, the team had fourteen members. The others would form two pairs of six, and try to infiltrate Oogie's lair from two places. Apparently, Kevin and Jack were going to try something together, but when asked about it, they refused to give any details, saying it was a "surprise."

---

Before the others knew it, they had ventured into the woods, toward the supposed location of Oogie's lair. Ed was captain of one team, and Double D was captain of the other.

Ed was, of course, for the idea of infiltrating the "Evil Oogie Man's" lair and showing everyone just what "Lothar" could do. May immediately offered to be on Ed's team because she wanted to be with her "boyfriend." Rolf thought that this would be a good experience for the Urban Rangers, so he volunteered himself, along with Jonny and Jimmy, to go along with the "no-chinned Ed boy."

"Big Ed, tell me again how you defeated this Oogie guy," May said dreamily, walking next to Ed.

Ed smiled. Normally, he wouldn't even want to be this close to a Kanker. But if there was one thing he felt like doing at the moment, it was gloating.

"Well . . . " Ed began for about the 500th time that night, "he was a fighter, and tried to eliminate Santa he did. But Lothar the mighty Viking took out his trusty flipper, and . . . "

"You've changed that part every time you've told this story," an annoyed voice barked from behind Ed, May, and the Urban Rangers. "How about telling us the truth this time?"

Rolf looked behind them. Dr. Finkelstein had been elected to go with Ed's team, but he was still opposed to the whole thing. He had agreed not to interfere; that didn't mean he couldn't protest! But since the ground in the forest was bumpy, the doctor was having a hard time keeping up in his wheelchair.

Rolf turned back to Jonny and Jimmy. "Urban Rangers, Rolf feels that this is the perfect opportunity to earn his "Helping the Elderly" badge. You shall take notes, yes?"

"Got it!" said Jonny as he and Jimmy each got out a small notepad. "Pay attention, Plank."

"Observe," said Rolf. He then ran back to where the struggling doctor until he was directly behind the wheelchair. Then Rolf grabbed the bar, and started running forward at top speed!

The doctor first showed a look of surprise, then more irritation. "I don't need any help from anybody!" he snapped as he and Rolf zoomed by the other kids.

When Ed saw this, he suddenly took off after Rolf and the doctor, trying to catch them. At the last second, Ed was able to overtake them, and he stopped right in front of the sun of a shepherd.

Rolf skidded to a stop just before the wheelchair hit Ed. And the doctor had something else to complain about because of this, because in about a second he had gone from being pushed into his chair to almost being thrust out of it.

"Why do you stop us, no-brained Ed boy?" asked Rolf.

"Do not belay yourself, Rolf," said Ed. "For the mighty Lothar shall act as the lead." He then began marching again, at the _front _of the line.

"That boy is alone in his own little world," Dr. Finkelstein grumbled as he sat up again in the wheelchair while Rolf slowed to a walk.

"So why can't he ever be alone with _me_?" asked May.

---

Meanwhile, Double D was in another part of the forest, leading the rest of the group, which consisted of all girls. Namely: Sally, Sarah, Nazz, Marie, and Lee.

"Oh, I do hope Jack knows what he's doing," said Double D, as he navigated through the forest.

"Me too . . . " said Sally. "We certainly know how his previous plans have gone . . . "

"Don't remind me . . . " said Double D.

"Uh, Double D?" asked Nazz. "If we actually run into one of these Oogie dude's henchmen, what should we do?"

"Well, if I've learned anything from fighting Oogie, it's that he looks a lot more intimidating than he really is," Double D explained. "It's the same with his monsters. For me, one good swing of my Death Rattle was enough to turn them into dust. So I'm sure it would be the same with a few good punches." Double D paused and looked at the group behind him. "And judging by our group, that shouldn't be hard to accomplish."

Except for maybe Sally, Double D thought they had a good advantage against the monsters. He personally knew that Nazz had some painful karate moves from the incident during Eddy's "Edtropolis" scam; Marie would definitely be there to protect her "honey bun" (unfortunately); Lee was still ticked off that Oogie had taken Eddy away, so she was probably itching to fight; and Sarah . . . well, she was always angry, so it would be a cinch for her.

And, as fate would have it, the team was about to be put to the test.

All of the sudden, one of Oogie's skeletons popped up in front of Double D. The whole team jumped. Before they knew it, they were all surrounded.

"Perfect," said Lee. "I've been meaning to blow off some steam."

"Get ready to fight, team," said Double D.

"Sure thing, Double D," said Marie.

Nazz also joined the fray with a few punches and kicks. Sally, on the other hand, ducked behind a tree while Sarah just . . . stood there.

Double D looked at Sarah as he was swinging his Death Rattle around. "Anytime you can join us would be greatly appreciated, Sarah!" he said.

"Well, I can't just get angry," said Sarah. "Usually it's 'cause you guys are doing such stupid stuff that gets me really mad."

Double D's mind raced. Then an idea so crazy, it might work hit him. "Sarah!" he called to Ed's little sister. "Pretend that Ed left his underwear in your room!"

All of the sudden, Sarah's whole body shook. She began to growl, her eyes looked wild, and it almost seemed like foam was coming from her mouth. Then she took a deep breath, and put those lungs to good use.

---

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!"

On the other side of the forest, Ed's group stopped.

"That sounded like Sarah," said Ed.

"Oh, that was probably a coyote or something," the doctor grumbled.

Just then, Rolf stopped. Then he put a hand to his ear. Then Ed stopped and did the same.

"What's that, Plank?" asked Jonny. "Kids? Where?"

That's when the whole team heard it. Three kids. Giggling. Ed immediately knew who it was. Shushing the rest of the group, they all cautiously peeked through the bushes. Guess who they saw, and guess what they were singing?

Lock, Shock, Barrel: **_Kidnap the Stouthearted Eds?_**

Lock: **_I wanna do it  
_**  
Barrel: **_Use your head_**

Shock: **_He said we should work together_**

Barrel: **_Three of a kind_**

Lock: **_Birds of a feather_**

Lock, Shock, Barrel: **_Now and forever  
Weeee  
La, la, la, la, la_**

**_Kidnap Stouthearted Eds  
Lock them up real tight!  
Throw away the key and then  
Turn off all the lights! _**

Shock: **_First, we're going to set some bait  
Inside a nasty trap and wait!  
When they come a-sniffing we will  
Snap the trap and close the gate!_**

Lock: **_Wait, I've got a better plan  
To catch these mighty stuck-up men!  
Let's pop them in a boiling pot  
And when they're done we'll butter them up! _**

Lock, Shock, Barrel: **_Kidnap Stouthearted Eds  
Throw them in a box!  
Bury them for ninety years  
Then see if they talk!_**

Shock: **_Then Mr. Oogie Boogie Man_**

Lock, Shock, Barrel: **_Can take this whole place over then!  
He'll be so pleased, I do declare!  
That he will cook him rare!  
Wheee! _**

Lock: **_I say that we take a cannon  
Aim it at their door and then  
Knock three times, and when they answer  
Those three Eds will be no more! _**

Shock: **_You're so stupid! Think now  
If we blow them up to smithereens  
We may lose some pieces and then_**

Lock, Shock: **_Oogie beats us black and green!_**

Lock, Shock, Barrel: **_Kidnap Stouthearted Eds  
Tie them in a bag!  
Throw them in the ocean then  
See if they are sad!_**

Meanwhile, in his spot from the bushes, Ed seemed to be getting into the song.

Ed: **_'Cause this Oogie Boogie guy  
He is the meanest guy around!  
If I were on his Boogie list  
I'd get out of town! _**

Barrel: **_He'll be so pleased by our success  
That he'll reward us too, I bet!_**

Lock, Shock, Barrel: **_Perhaps he'll make his special brew  
Of snake and spider stew! _**

We're his little henchmen and  
We take our job with pride!  
We do our best to please him  
And stay on his good side!

Shock: **_I wish my cohorts weren't so dumb!  
_**  
Barrel: **_I'm not the dumb one!_**

Lock: **_You're no fun! _**

Shock: **_Shut up!_**

Lock: **_Make me! _**

Shock: **_I've got something, listen now  
This one is real good, you'll see!  
We'll send a present to their cell  
Upon there'll be a note to read!_**

**_Now, in the box we'll wait and hide  
Until their curiosity _**

Lock, Shock, Barrel: **_Entices them to look inside  
And then we'll have them!  
One, two, three!_**

Lock, Shock, Barrel, Ed: **_Kidnap Stouthearted Eds  
Beat them with a stick!  
Lock them up for ninety years  
See what makes them tick! _**

Kidnap Stouthearted Eds  
Chop them into bits!  
Mister Oogie Boogie is  
Sure to get his kicks!

Kidnap Stouthearted Eds  
See what we will see!  
Lock them in a cage and then  
Throw away the key!

Ed: **_A shooba dop  
_**_**bobba dooba  
**__**dah-boo dah-boo  
**__**dah-boo dah-boo  
**__**dah . . . ?**_

Ed suddenly stopped singing and dancing to the song, only to find that all eyes from both parties were staring at him. He then stood normally, and a content grin appeared on his face.

Ed: **_. . .Yeah._**

"Never a dull moment with this clown, huh Plank?" asked Jonny.

"There he is!" Lock exclaimed.

"It's Lothar!" said Barrel.

"GET HIM!" Shock shouted.

"Uh oh," said Ed as an army of skeletons appeared around the team.

"ROLF WILL RELEASE HIS RAGE NOW!" Rolf shouted, barreling into the battlefield.

"Woo hoo!" said Jonny. "Let's go, Plank!"

"Oh . . . " Jimmy muttered. Then he forced himself to muster up every bit of courage he had. "I. . .I'm going to give you such a pinch!" he said as he ran after Rolf and Jonny.

Dr. Finkelstein sighed. "Never send a kid to do a doctor's job . . . " he muttered as he slowly wheeled in after the kids.

---

Meanwhile, while all this was going on, Eddy was still trapped in Oogie's lair, in a small tiny cell with only one-barred window, which was completely out of his reach. The only thing for Eddy to do was fool around with the Yo-Yo Mace. And after a while, even _that _got boring. Also, there was the problem of figuring out a way to get out of the cell. But . . . there was one major flaw in this: Eddy couldn't find one. For once in his life, Eddy couldn't think of a solution to his predicament. Sighing, he sat down in the middle of his cell. Then, remembering one of the songs from the play, Eddy began to sing.

Eddy: **_How can people be so heartless  
How can people be so cruel  
Easy to be hard  
Easy to be cold _**

How can people have no feelings  
How can they ignore their friends  
Easy to be proud  
Easy to say no

And especially people  
Who care about strangers  
Who care about evil  
And social injustice  
Do you only  
Care about the bleeding crowd?  
How about a needing friend?  
I need a friend

How can people be so heartless  
You know I'm hung up on you  
Easy to give in  
Easy to help out

And especially people  
Who care about strangers  
Who say they care about social injustice  
Do you only  
Care about the bleeding crowd  
How about a needing friend?  
I need a friend

How can people have no feelings  
How can they ignore their friends  
Easy to be hard  
Easy to be cold  
Easy to be proud  
Easy to say no

Just then, Eddy heard a strange rattling sound behind him. He turned around and looked up. Someone had ripped the bars off the little window! Then, before Eddy could react, a very tall, slender figure jumped into his cell, followed by a shorter figure who seemed to be wearing a hat.

"Jack!" Eddy exclaimed, relieved to see his skeletal friend. Then, looking behind Jack, Eddy's relief turned to confusion. "Kevin?"

"Yeah, it's me," Kevin grumbled.

"We're busting you out of here, Eddy," said Jack. "Everyone's working together on this one. We're going to bring down Oogie!"

"No foolin'?" asked Eddy. He then turned back to Kevin. "So what possessed you to make _you _want to come help me?"

Kevin looked at his feet. "Ah . . . " For some reason, he couldn't find the right words. "Well . . . I got to thinking, and . . . oh, it'd be boring around here without you, dor . . . Eddy."

"Whoa!" Eddy exclaimed, surprised that Kevin actually knew what his real name was. "I didn't know you cared, Kev."

"I don't," said Kevin. "I'm just sayin' that it wouldn't be as much fun if I didn't have someone to pound on all the time."

"Well, now that we have _that _out of the way . . . " said Jack. "Aren't you going to tell Eddy your idea, Kevin?"

"Oh, yeah," said Kevin, taking out the copy of his script and showing it to Eddy. "Well, here's what I've been thinking. It's not gonna be pleasant for either of us, but hopefully we can make it work."


	10. Surprise!: Kevin's Plan is Revealed

**Author's Note**: YAY! I'm so glad everyone liked my last chapter! And I'm surprised at how many questions I seem to be getting about it. Well, first of all, since so many people want to know, the song Eddy sings in his cell is called "Easy to be Hard." It's from the musical (not the movie) version of _Hair_. And as for Kevin's plan . . . well, I'll give you a hint: a similar scene happens near the end of the movie! So without further ado, happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

Somewhere in the woods, between the two separate massacres of Oogie's army (courtesy of Sarah and "Lothar"), Ed's team and Double D's team met up.

"Hello, Double D!" said Ed. "Has Lothar conquered all yet?"

"Well, it seems that we've managed to wipe out most of Oogie's army so far. . ." said Double D. "But considering how many he's sent, he probably knows we're here. And there's the matter of Lock, Shock, and Barrel . . . "

"The brats?" asked Dr. Finkelstein. "We took care of them already."

Double D's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" he asked. "Well, that makes things a little easier. They're not going anywhere, are they?"

"Rolf and the Urban Rangers have made sure that the three brats of the Oogie monster are secured," said Rolf. "It has also helped the Urban Rangers earn their "Square, double, and other assorted-knot" Badge."

Double D looked at Rolf, Jonny, and Jimmy. "You tied them up? Where are they now?"

"Oh, those boys bound them real tight to this old tree in the forest," said the doctor. "We'll let them go after we're done here."

"What about Eddy?" asked Sally.

"Yeah, did you guys find him?" asked Nazz.

Ed's expression went blank. "What?"

Double D groaned. "_Eddy_, Ed! Remember? Lock, Shock, and Barrel took Eddy to Oogie! That's why we're here!"

"Hang on, Double D," said Ed. "I'll think of something."

This time, everyone else (minus Ed, of course) joined Double D in groaning.

"That creep had better not have done anything to _my _Eddy!" Lee growled.

"Now that I think of it, I haven't seen Kevin or Jack either," said Double D.

"You don't think Oogie got to them, do you?" asked Sally.

"Well, I'm guessing not," said Double D. "But if that _is _the case, we have to move in now. Surprise is our greatest tactic. We need to keep a low profile."

"So where would you say this "Oogie" guy's lair is?" asked Marie.

"Probably in the heart of the woods, which is straight ahead if we keep going," said Double D. "Remember, low profiles. I have a plan."

"Oh, _that's _reassuring," said the doctor.

---

Meanwhile, three other people were already in Oogie's lair. Two of them were boys. The third one was a skeleton. They had a plan of their own. They were just hoping it could go off without a hitch.

"Dude, this better work," said one boy.

"If you follow my plan, it will," said the other boy.

"I'm quite confident this will work," said the skeleton. "_Besides,_" he thought, "_he knows if it doesn't, I'll have to take more drastic measures._"

"So just wait for the signal. But what's the signal?"

"Dude, believe me, you'll know it when you hear it."

"I don't know about this . . . "

"Look, if we're gonna make this work, we gotta have a truce. At least for now. All right?"

"Okay, I'll do it. But I won't like it."

"Hey, same here."

And with that, one boy headed off toward the center of the lair, while the other one got on a waiting bicycle and wheeled off in the opposite direction, the skeleton in tow.

---

At this point, Ed, Double D, and the other team members had somehow made it into Oogie's lair undetected. They were all waiting behind a wall. And right on the other side of that wall was Oogie Boogie himself, trying to contact his three little henchmen on an intercom. Double D shushed the others, then cautiously peeked around the wall.

"Lock . . . Shock . . . Barrel!" Oogie barked into his microphone, frustrated because he wasn't getting a response from any of them. "Testing . . . testing! One, two, three . . . " He tried again. But still no response. Disgusted, he hung up. "Hmph. It's so hard to get good help these days . . . " he grumbled. "Of course, when I get done taking over this tacky little town, it won't matter! And once I find those other two Stouthearted whatnots and get rid of them and that infernal pest Jack Skellington _permanently_, there will be no one left to stop me! It's perfect!" He then broke out into maniacal laughter.

Double D ducked back behind the wall, eyes as big as dinner plates and heart pounding in his chest. Oogie had said that he was going to get rid of them and Jack _permanently_. That meant . . .

"This is really bad, isn't it?" Nazz whispered.

"You had to ask?" Marie whispered back.

"All right, we made it in," Sarah whispered, beginning to get impatient. "Now what?"

"Okay . . . okay . . . " Double D took a few deep breaths to try and calm down. "I know that the odds seem a little less in our favor right now, but I'm sure if we stick to our tactic of having the element of surprise, I'm sure we can. . ."

"LOTHAR ACCEPTS YOUR CHALLENGE!" Ed suddenly yelled. "DO YOUR WORST, DEFRAMED CREATURE FROM THE NETHERWORLD!"

Double D's eyes grew even wider (if that was even physically possible). He turned in Ed's direction. Ed had jumped out from behind the wall, and was now in full view for Oogie to see.

"So much for low profiles, eh?" asked Dr. Finkelstein. Then, without another word, he wheeled himself out so he was next to Ed. "Let's get this over with, shall we? I'm getting tired of this . . . "

"Oh, not good, not good . . . " Double D muttered. He was then surprised to see Sally stand up and join Ed and the doctor. Now they were _really _in trouble. Double D knew that he'd have to make himself known one way or the other. So he simply walked out and took his position with the other three. But unlike them, he was shaking.

"So, it seems I _don't _have to wait for the other Stouthearted whatever's to get here," Oogie sneered. "You saved me the trouble of looking for you. And you have a mini-army with you? How cute! By the way, nice Halloween costumes, losers! Too bad you won't live to actually _see _Halloween though!"

Double D looked behind him. The other kids were looking out from behind the wall, making themselves visible. Now that they were finally seeing who had taken over their town, there were mixed responses.

"What _is _that thing?" asked Nazz.

"Look, Plank!" said Jonny. "A giant potato sack!"

"Perfect," said Lee, cracking her knuckles. "Now I can _really _knock the stuffing out of him!"

"Bugs, actually . . . " Double D corrected. He then turned back to Oogie and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is this what you've been reduced to, Oogie?" he asked the insect-filled monster, hoping his voice wasn't shaking like his knees. "It wasn't enough that you tried to take over your own town? You had to come and try to take over _ours_?"

"I will admit, I was thoroughly surprised when I found out _you three _were here," Oogie snarled. "But it doesn't matter now. Look at yourselves! You can't do a thing without your leader, or that Pumpkin King! And neither of them are here!"

"Wrong."

Everyone's attention turned to the back of the room. There stood a boy. And not just any boy . . .

"EDDY!" Ed and Double D said happily. At least . . . it _looked _like Eddy. That was definitely Eddy's hippie costume. But for some reason, he had his hood tied up over his face.

"You!" said Oogie. "But I put you in that dungeon!"

"You gotta wake up pretty early in the morning to pull one on me," said 'Eddy.' "You still wanna take over our town?"

Oogie growled in anger. Then he smirked again. "Well, at least now I can get rid of all three of you at once," he drawled. "You saved me the trouble _again_!"

"Then what are you waiting for, big shot?" 'Eddy' asked, stepping forward. "Let's dance."

"With pleasure," Oogie growled back. Then, at his command, hundreds of undead skeletons popped out from the ground. There were even a few bats flying around the area.

"Oh dear . . . " Double D murmured.

"Don't just stand there!" 'Eddy' called to the others. "Can't you help a guy out?"

"CRUSH THE MONSTERS!" Ed yelled, running into battle, Bony Helmet on hand . . . er, head.

"Oh, right," said Double D. He then took out his Death Rattle. He then used his attack strategy: run straight ahead, eyes closed, swinging the Death Rattle wildly in front of him.

The other kids, some bellowing battle cries, also charged into battle. The only ones who weren't really fighting were Sally and Jimmy, who were too weak to fight. Instead, they kept a good distance away, cheering the others on.

Sarah was putting Double D's advice to good use. All she had to do was imagine that the skeletons were her stupid brother (or even better, Eddy) and that was enough to make her rip them to shreds.

Nazz was doing a combination of karate and her cheerleader moves, jumping and kicking in rapid succession, making her a very hard-to-hit target.

Rolf, that brave son-of-a-shepherd, was also having a blast. With great strength, he was whacking away with his shepherd's staff, and at the same time, rapidly blathering on how they would not touch his animals. "NEVER AGAIN SHALL YOU TOUCH ROLF'S LIVESTOCK!" he could be heard bellowing.

Jonny had teamed up with Dr. Finkelstein. Jonny was running around with Plank, pushing the doctor in his wheelchair (this time, without objection) at a very high speed, crushing anything in their path. And throughout it all, Jonny was making an excited "Woo-woo-woo-woo" siren sound as he ran.

The Kanker Sisters were _ruthless_. They were punching and kicking and biting the skeletons, slamming any that came within inches of their respective "boyfriends."

However, during the battle, Double D was beginning to notice something. 'Eddy' was jumping around with ease, and he was delivering punch after punch to the skeletons . . . wait a minute! 'Punch after punch?' Where was Eddy's Yo-Yo Mace? Had he lost it? Was this even Eddy?

Then Double D's eyes widened in shock when he realized that something else wasn't right. _Where had Oogie gone?_

Double D's question was unfortunately answered when he heard a sickening THUD sound. 'Eddy' was sent to the ground. Oogie had attacked him from behind.

Oogie looked at the crumpled boy collapsed in front of him, groaning in either surprise or pain. He was not pleased.

"I have worked _way _too long to have my plan fail now . . . " he growled. "And I'm not about to have you Stouthearted freaks and your little friends ruin it for me! This ends now!" He then took the sword he had somehow acquired during the battle and pointed it at the back of 'Eddy'. "Any last words, brat?" he smirked.

Surprisingly, 'Eddy' chuckled. "I've only got one thing to say to you, Oogie . . . " he said. Then, all of the sudden, he whirled around, flinging his hood off in the process. Then, one word rang throughout Oogie's lair. One simple word:

"DORK!"

The room fell silent. Jaws dropped. Nobody dared to say a word. The only one who wasn't shocked was Ed. So it was only appropriate that he would break the awkward silence.

"Hi, Kevin!" he exclaimed, waving to the boy standing in front of a gaping mouthed Oogie. Ed then turned to Double D. "Why's Kevin dressed up like Eddy, Double D?"

"But . . . but . . . but . . . " Double D stammered. This was one of the first times in his life that he was speechless.

Now Oogie was really mad. "What?!" he yelled. "Then where is the _real_ Stouthearted Eddy?"

"Forget your glasses at home, Oogie?"

Everyone looked up. There, positioned proudly on a ledge giving an overview of the battlefield, were Jack and Eddy, proudly donning his Yo-Yo Mace. Eddy was also sitting on Kevin's prized bike, dressed in Kevin's "Berger" clothing. He was even wearing the curly brown-haired wig!

"Good work, 'buddy'!" said Kevin, giving Eddy a thumbs-up. "You arrived just in time!"

"Sure thing, 'pal'!" Eddy responded. "And I just barely made it. How the heck do you ride this thing?"

"Still think you have a chance, Oogie?" asked Jack.

"J-Jack!" said Oogie. "You _are _here!" Then his face curled into an evil little smile. "But don't think that means you've won . . . " He then pressed a small secret button in the floor with his foot.

Click.


	11. Peach Creek's Fate: The Final Showdown

All of the sudden, the whole forest began to shake violently under everyone's feet.

"EVERYONE GET BACK!" Double D yelled.

The rest of the Peach Creek kids (minus Kevin), along with Sally and the Doctor, ran to the outer edge of the lair. Just as they did, the ground began to crumble at their feet. A giant multicolored roulette wheel began rising out of the ground, while the surrounding area cracked open, revealing a pool of lava underneath, running around the roulette wheel.

"Oh no. . ." Jack mumbled.

"Now it's time for the _real _party!" said Eddy. He revved up Kevin's bike, then zoomed off the cliff, followed by Jack. Eddy landed right in front of Kevin. "You get off of this thing before it gets any bigger!" he said, getting off the bike.

"Hey, why do _I _have to?" asked Kevin.

"One: you already did your part," said Eddy. "And two: we know what this guy's capable of, and you don't!"

Kevin sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "Let's see if you really have what it takes." He jumped onto his bike.

"Hold it!" yelled Oogie. He then attempted to lunge at both boys.

"Whoa . . . " said Kevin. He revved his bike. This time, his _La Cucaracha _horn blared loudly. Oogie jumped backward at the sudden noise, giving Kevin an opportunity to escape. He safely made it across the chasm before it got any bigger.

Just as Kevin landed on the other side, a metal cage shot up on the outside of the giant roulette wheel, trapping Ed, Double D, Eddy, and Jack inside of it with Oogie.

"Oh, of course . . . " said Double D.

"Looks like it's you and us, Oogie," said Jack. "Have you learned _nothing _from your first three attempts?"

"Three?" asked Ed.

"The first time was with Jack and my brother, remember?" asked Eddy.

"Oh, right . . . " said Double D.

Oogie growled. "Don't get cocky just because you're on familiar territory," he said. "I still have a few tricks left!" He then pushed another secret button.

Suddenly, the roulette wheel gave a giant lurch. It was moving! It was starting to spin!

"Oh man. . ." said Eddy.

"This may cause some setbacks . . . " said Double D as they began to spin faster and faster.

"I'm king of the world, guys!" said Ed, throwing his arms above his head.

"Come on, boys!" said Jack, struggling to stand up. "Stay with me! We can do this!"

"If I don't lose my lunch first . . . " Eddy groaned, clutching his stomach.

"Still think you can win?" Oogie drawled. "In that case, bring it on!"

"Right back . . . at ya!" said Eddy.

Oogie:**_ Well, well, well!  
What pests, you are!  
Still around, huh?  
Oh, can't say I like that!  
So why don't you just give up?  
You know, surrender! _**

Jack:**_ It's over!_** Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ It's over!  
_**Jack:**_ Your scheme was bound to fail!  
It's over!_** Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ You're finished here!  
_**Jack:**_ Your next stop will be jail!_**

Oogie:**_ They mock me! They fight me!  
I don't know which is worse!  
I might just split a seam now  
If I don't die laughin' first!  
Ha, ha, ha!_**

Jack:**_ What's this? A trick?_** Ed:**_ We're not impressed!  
_**Eddy: **_And now, we've seen it all!  
_**Edd:**_ It makes it all the more worthwhile  
To see you finally fall!_**

Oogie:**_ Talk, talk, talk! But I tell you  
This tyrant's goin' nowhere!  
If I were you, I'd take a hike!  
There's danger in the air!_**

**_Whoa-oh!_**

Jack:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Oogie: **_Whoa-oh!_**

Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Oogie:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Jack, Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Whoa-oh!  
I'm (he's) the only Pumpkin King!_**

As Oogie was throwing every trick in his book at Jack and the Eds, who were defending themselves with their weapons,another unexpected setback began to happen. Fireballs from the lava pit below began firing up and raining onto the blurred spinning roulette wheel!

When the Eds discovered the fireballs, another song from their play came to mind. Before they knew it, Eddy started singing a different tune, accompanied by Double D and Ed. It seemed to fit the situation quite nicely.

Eddy: **_Me and Lucifer  
_**Ed, Edd: **_Lucifer and me  
_**Eddy: **_Just like the angel that fell  
_**Ed, Edd:**_ Banished forever to Hell  
_**Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Today I have been expelled  
From high school heaven_**

Hearing the familiar tune, even the other Peach Creek kids began singing along.**_  
_**

All Peach Creek Kids:**_ Elevator going down  
Going down_**

After singing the first verse, Jack, the Eds, and Oogie kicked back into their song.

Jack, Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Well, we're feeling angry  
And there's plenty left to do!  
We've fought your most unwelcome help  
And now we're after you! _**

Oogie:**_ Even if you catch me  
You could never do me in!  
My numbers are high, my army's strong!  
That means I'm gonna win! _**

Jack:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Oogie:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Oogie Boogie:**_ Whoa-oh oh!_**

Jack, Oogie:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Whoa-oh! _**

Jack, Ed Edd n Eddy: **_I'm (he's) the only Pumpkin King!_ **

Then the Eds and the Peach Creek kids kicked back in.

Eddy: **_This is my doom, my humiliation  
_**Ed, Edd, Peach Creek Kids:**_ October, not June  
_**Eddy:**_ And it's summer vacation  
_**Ed, Edd, Peach Creek Kids:**_ Such a disgrace  
_**Eddy:**_ How can I face the nation?  
_**All Peach Creek Kids:**_ Why should this pain  
Bring me such strange elation?_**

As the Peach Creek kids sang, some of the fireballs began bouncing across the roulette wheel. One particularly large fireball flew down and bounced right in front of Ed, narrowly missing Double D, sailing over Jack and Eddy, and knocking off a piece of the fence, which happened to be right behind Oogie. Oogie also seemed to be used to such a rapid pace of spinning because he was the only one not straining against the velocity of the spinning roulette wheel.

Jack:**_ It's over! _**Ed:**_ You're finished!  
_**Edd:**_ You'll never get away!  
_**Eddy:**_ You, becoming Peach Creek's King?  
Yeah, that'll be the day! _**

Oogie:**_ How feeble! How childish!  
Is that the best you've got?  
You think that you're a hero, Jack!  
But I think you are not!_**

Eddy: **_Emancipation proclamation  
Oh Dr. Lincoln  
My head needs shrinkin'  
Lu lu lu lu lu lu Lucifer and me  
Doomed from here  
To e-ter-ni-ty!  
_****_  
_**Oogie:**_ Whoooah! _**

Now it's time for you to see  
What it really means to scare!  
'Cause I'm a gamblin' Boogie Man  
Although I don't play fair!

It's much more fun, I must confess  
With lives on the line!  
Not mine, of course, but yours, old friends!  
Now that'd be just fine!

Peach Creek Kids:**_ Everybody going down down down  
Going down _**

Eddy:_** Forgive me if I don't cry  
It's like the Fourth of July  
Thank God that angels can fly  
Going down down down  
**  
_Oogie:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Jack:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Oogie:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Oogie:**_ Whoa-oh!_**

Jack, Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Whoa-oh!  
I'm (he's) the only Pumpkin King!_**

BANG!

All of the sudden, more fireballs began raining down on the whole battlefield. Sally, the Doctor, and the Peach Creek kids ducked into the lair entrance, while Jack and the Eds had no choice but to do everything they could to defend themselves. Oogie also seemed to notice the potential danger of the surroundings. Some of the smaller fireballs were actually bouncing off the burlap holding Oogie together, which was _very _bad for him. If a big enough hole was burned into him, he would fall apart, and it would be all over for him and his plan! What he didn't notice, however, was one of the fireballs had broken one of his threads loose . . .

Fortunately for Jack and the Eds, one of the fireballs slammed down on the button that controlled the roulette wheel, and it gradually slowed to a stop. When the wheel finally jerked to a halt, all four of them fell over.

Eddy was the first one to stand. Unfortunately, he was standing right in front of Oogie. "Can someone stop the room, please?" Eddy mumbled, unaware of Oogie's presence. "I'd like to get off, now . . . "

"GET DOWN!"

"Huh?" Eddy asked, snapping to attention. That was when he saw the bike zooming straight at him and heard the _La Cucaracha _horn. "Hello!" Eddy yelled, ducking.

Oogie, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The bike slammed right into him, knocking him over backward, right into the opening in the fence. The poor burlap-sacked enemy didn't even have time to regain his balance. He simply flew off the roulette wheel screaming, the bike going down with him.

When Eddy saw this, he ran to the edge of the wheel and shot his Yo-Yo Mace straight downward. When it zipped back up again, Eddy not only reeled in his weapon, but the bike. He looked up at Kevin.

"Wouldn't want to lose this, right Kev?" he asked.

"Uh . . . no," said Kevin. When he had shot his bike at Oogie, he knew very well that he would probably lose it. He had not expected Eddy to grab it like that.

"Well, there ya go," Eddy said slyly. "Solid proof that yours truly and his faithful sidekicks are heroes. Don't throw roses; money will do."

"Hey, what's that attached to my bike?" asked Kevin.

Eddy looked at the bike. The thread that had broken loose from Oogie had become tangled in the spokes. Eddy looked over the side of the wheel. Dangling from the thread was half of Oogie's burlap sack body. The other half, along with the contents _inside _of Oogie, had already burned up in the lava.

"Oh . . . nothing," said Eddy. He quickly removed the string from the spokes and threw it into the lava.

Jack walked over to the edge, next to Eddy. Together, the pair watched as the remains sank and disintegrated into the molten substance.

"You did good," said Jack.

"Yep," said Eddy.

"And does this mean you and Kevin will be getting along now?" Jack asked, pointing to the bike.

"Knowing us?" asked Eddy. "Who knows?"

Ed stood up and posed victoriously. "Once again, Lothar has conquered all!" he proclaimed. "And he had an audience, too! Did I do good, Double D?"

Double D, meanwhile, was just getting back into focus. "Yes you did, Ed," he said, still a little dazed from all the spinning. "All's well that ends well, I suppose. Which leaves me with one final question . . . "

"What's that, Double D?" asked Eddy.

Double D looked around at the surrounding area, then cleared his throat.

"HOW ON EARTH DO WE GET OFF THIS THING?"


	12. One Story Ends: Another Will Begin

After the Eds and Jack rejoined the others at the entrance of Oogie's lair (don't ask how they escaped the roulette wheel), the team decided to try and fix any damage Oogie and his army might have caused. Surprisingly though, the damage to the town was very minimal. In fact, nothing seemed out of place at all. It seemed all Oogie's army did was go on a rampage in the town, but they didn't touch anything. The Urban Rangers had been sent to retrieve Lock, Shock, and Barrel. However, they came back empty-handed, reporting that the three brats had "disappeared." Even stranger, when the Eds and Jack went back to see if they could do something about Oogie's lair, the whole thing was gone. It seemed to have sunk back into the ground, like it had never even been there.

---

So it seemed that the danger of Oogie Boogie had finally subsided. Having no other reason to stay, it was time for Jack, Sally, and Dr. Finkelstein to return to Halloween Town.

The Doctor was the most eager to get back home. So eager, in fact, that as soon as he was led to the tree with the jack o' lantern door on it, he simply wheeled right up to it and entered. But not before taking one last glance at the Eds and mumbling an almost inaudible "Good job."

Jack and Sally, however, lingered. They stood in front of the tree and gave one last glance at the group of kids whose town they were able to save.

"See you three in a few weeks?" Jack asked the Eds, who stood at the front of the group.

"Only if you see us in our play in a couple of days," said Eddy.

Jack laughed. "I'll see what I can do," he said. "Who knows? I may even bring a few of the townsfolk with me to see it."

"And speaking of the play . . . " said Double D.

"Is it time to sing now, Double D?" asked Ed.

"Huh?" asked Jack.

Eddy smiled. "Well, we couldn't let you guys go without _all _of us saying goodbye . . . " he said, motioning to the other kids, who waved. "So we decided to send you guys off in the same way we're going to send our audience off in a few days."

He then nodded to the other kids. They all smiled.

"Last song!" said Ed.

Eddy:**_ We starve-look  
At one another  
Short of breath  
_**Ed:**_ Walking proudly in our winter coats  
Wearing smells from laboratories  
_**Edd:**_ Facing a dying nation  
Of moving paper fantasy  
_**Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ Listening for the new told lies  
With supreme visions of lonely tunes _**

Peach Creek Girls:**_ Somewhere  
Inside something there is a rush of  
Greatness  
_**Peach Creek Boys:**_ Who knows what stands in front of  
Our lives  
_**Ed Edd n Eddy:**_ I fashion my future on films in space  
Silence  
Tells me secretly  
Everything  
Everything_**

All Peach Creek Kids:**_ Manchester England England  
Manchester England England  
Eyes look your last  
Across the Atlantic Sea  
Arms take your last  
embrace  
And I'm a genius genius  
And lips oh you thedoors of breath  
I believe in God  
Seal with a righteous kiss  
And I believe that God believes in Claude  
Seal with a righteous kiss  
That's me, that's me, that's me  
The rest is silence  
The rest is silence  
The rest is silence _**

Our space songs on a spider web sitar  
Life is around you and in you  
Answer for Timothy Leary, dearie . . .

Then all the kids' moods changed. They all threw their hands in the air and began swaying back and forth. As they sang the last part of their send-off, the morning sun began to appear over the horizon . . .

All Peach Creek Kids:**_ Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in  
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in  
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in_**

Eddy:**_ Oh, let it shine, c'mon  
Now everybody just sing along  
Let the sun shine in  
Open up your heart and let it shine on in  
When you are lonely, let it shine on  
Got to open up your heart and let it shine on in  
And when you feel like you've been mistreated  
And your friends turn away  
Just open your heart, and shine it on in_**

As the kids sang, Jack and Sally gazed admiringly at the sight before them. They gave one last wave to their old friends, and their _new _friends, and disappeared into the mysterious tree. Now the only souls left in the forest were twelve kids, singing to the high heavens.**_  
_**

All Peach Creek Kids:**_ Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in  
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in  
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in!_**

---

What these kids didn't know was that back in the central cul-de-sac of Peach Creek, a bus was pulling in. It stopped at the bus stop, and one lone person holding a duffel bag stepped off. He was older than any of the kids in Peach Creek. In fact, he was a college student.

Figuring it was too early for anyone else to be awake (the sun was just rising, after all), the young man walked up the sidewalks in silence, until he reached the house he had been looking for. He walked up the driveway and up to the front door. Upon closer examination, any Peach Creek resident would immediately identify this particular house as _Eddy's _house.

The young man put his bag down and rang the doorbell. No response. He looked around anxiously, rang the doorbell again, then knocked on the door. Still no response. The man looked down at his watch.

"Come on, little bro," the young man mumbled. "Answer the door already. I came all the way down here to see you. I've been wanting to tell you this story ever since you told me you met _him_. The least you could do is answer the door . . . "

* * *

**Author's Note**: And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The third story in the Ed Edd n Eddy/Nightmare Before Christmas saga comes to a close. Thanks to all who have reviewed and given me praise for all three of my EEnE/NBC stories! But who's this mysterious man at Eddy's door? (If you've been keeping track, however, this should be a no-brainer). This question will be answered in the fourth and final story, _Baron and the Pumpkin King_. However, all of you fans will have to wait for a while. I'm taking a short hiatus from this saga to focus on some other stories I'm working on. One, in particular, which I'm posting very soon, involves our three favorite Eds meeting a certain Axe Princess from a certain virtual band! In other words, I'm going to be staying busy for a long time. Until next time, faithful readers, peace out and happy reading! ;)-**AMX**

**Coming Soon: **_A Day with an Ed,  
Tomboy in Kong_


End file.
